From 1961 up to now – an impressive story of success

History of the Silvrettaseilbahn AG in Ischgl

Did you know that Austria’s first one-cable cable car facility was opened in Ischgl in 1972?

Or that with the completion of the Pardatschgratbahn cable car in 2014, cable car seats could be heated during the entire duration of the journey for the first time?

Find out what else happened in between – and trace the story of the ski resort from its beginnings up to now.

The beginnings of the Silvrettaseilbahn AG

from 1961 to 1979

1961: on October 7, the foundation is laid for the Silvretta Arena; the company is founded by 73 initial shareholders

1962 -1963: construction of the Silvrettabahn aerial tram

1963: the cable car crashes down on the day of its technical inspection; after being immediately rebuilt and another thorough inspection, the Silvrettabahn can finally start operating on December 15, 1963; skiers also get to try out the new Idjoch tow lift – at the time, it was the longest tow lift in Austria

1966: the association of administrations enters the scene as a shareholder and the capital stock is increased by half a million euros

1972: the Pardatschgratbahn starts operating as the first one-cable cable car facility in Austria

1976: construction and initial operation of the Fimbabahn cable car – it’s the third important cable car serving as an entry point into the Silvretta

1977: the Zubringerbahn I in Samnuan is built; construction of the restaurants Alp Trida and Alp Trida Sattel; the Silvrettaseilbahn AG becomes a shareholder of the Luftseilbahn Samnaun AG aerial tram company with 51 per cent of shares

1979: merger with Samnaun and purchase of shares of the Parkgaragengesellschaft car park company in Ischgl

Aerial tramway

First Silvrettabahn to Idalp, 2,320 m

Big investments and the expansion of the resort

from 1980 to 1999

1980: other big investments are made such as the expansion of restaurants (Idalp, Höllkar, and Schwarzwand); the tow lift Idjoch is replaced by Tyrols first detachable 3-people chairlift; the ski lifts Viderjoch, Muller and Blais Gronda are built

1986: construction of the longest detachable chairlift in Austria (Gampenbahn) and expansion of the snowmaking system

1990: reconstruction of the Pardatschgratbahn

1991: the Muller lift is replaced by the 4-people Muller chairlift

1992-1993: construction of the tennis centre with indoor and outdoor courts and a swimming pool

1993: construction of the Flimjochbahn and the Velilleckbahn chairlifts; construction of the restaurant “La Marmotte”; opening of the Alp Trida – Viderjoch terrain

1994: construction of the new detachable 4-people Höllspitzbahn chairlift and the detachable 4-people Alp Trida-Flimsattel and Alp Trida-Visnitz chairlift

1995: construction of the detachable 6-people Velillbahn chair lift and renovation of the self-service restaurant Alp Bella; construction of the Twinliner cable car in Samnaun

1996: construction of the detachable 4-people Palinkopfbahn chairlift; construction of a car park with 200 spaces, escalator at the Pardatschgratbahn cable car; construction of the detachable 4-people chairlift Alp Bella-Grivalea

1997: construction of the 6-people Sassgalunbahn chairlift; preparations for the construction of the new Silvrettabahn funitel; replacement of the Fimbabahn cable car by the Silvrettabahn; shell construction of the town tunnel between the centre and the Fimbabahn cable car

1998: reconstruction of the Silvrettabahn as a funitel, replacement of the Fimbabahn by the old Silvrettabahn; construction of the detachable 6-people Höllkarbahn chairlift instead of the two tow lifts; construction of the detachable and hooded six-people Planer Salaas-Greitspitz chairlift; completion of the town tunnel with conveyor belts and lifts

1999: construction of the Schwarzwasserlift tow lift

A new century: Ischgl driven by modernisation

from 2000 to 2009

2000: replacement of the tow lifts Palinkopf and Schwarzwand by the 6-people chairlift Zeblas; replacement of the 4-people Höllkarbahn chairlift by an 8-people chairlift; construction of the fixed 4-people chairlift Bodenalp; construction of the table-service restaurant Panorama at the Idalp; completion of the detachable and hooded 6-people chairlift Alp Trida Sattelbahn

2001: replacement of the 3-people Idjoch chairlift by an 8-people bubble chairlift; renovation and expansion of the Höllboden restaurant including a tower gazebo; expansion of the snowmaking system surrounding the Flimjoch; expansion of the car park Florian by 200 spaces; construction of a house for the personnel with 34 modern single rooms

2002: construction of the hooded six-people chairlift Gratbahn; opening of the descent “Höll” from the Greitspitz down into the Höllkar; construction of the Silvretta underground garage with 200 spaces at the valley station of the Silvrettabahn; expansion of the snowmaking system

2003: initial operation of the hooded 6-people chairlift Paznauner Taja; expansion of the snowmaking system

2004: construction of the hooded 6-people chairlift Nachtweidebahn; construction of the Pardorama and Pardatschgrat restaurants; expansion of the snowmaking system; the Höllspitzbahn chairlift was also equipped with state-of-the-art weather protection hoods

2005: construction of the ticket office building at the valley station of the Silvrettabahn cable car; completion of the Pardorama restaurant; replacement of the Schirmbar at the Alp Trida restaurant by the new après-ski bar Munggaloch

2006: reconstruction of the Alpenhaus restaurant; new building design of the valley station Silvrettabahn cable car; construction of the reservoir pond Viderjoch; renovation of the restaurant “La Marmotte”

2007: construction of the 8-people Fimba (A3) chairlift; reconstruction of the Salaas restaurant

2008: construction of the Bistro Gampen at the valley station of the Gampenbahn (E4)

2009: construction of the reservoir pond Velill-Idalp; replacement of the practice lift Mathon (G1); modernisation of the ice bar and the façade of the Idalp restaurant

2012: renovation and expansion of the restaurants Höllboden and Sattel

2013: construction of the 150 aerial tram Piz Val Gronda (E5) including the new slope number 42; beginning of the construction of the 3-S Pardatschgratbahn (A2) cable car involving the concrete foundations at the mountain and valley stations as well as along the entire route

2014: completion of the 3-S Pardatschgratbahn (A2) with a transport capacity of up to 2,800 people per hour and 28 people per cable car; all seats can be heated throughout the duration of the journey for the first time – this was only possible for a brief period near the valley station before

2015: construction of the pedestrian tunnel Prenner including bus terminal

2016: replacement of the 4-people Flimjochbahn (B2) chairlift by an 8-people chairlift with heated seats and weather protection hoods